Shadowing Practice: Michael Jackson - Thriller (Official 4K Video) - Learn English Speaking with Video

This video has 88 sentences and 640 words to shadow. The speech runs for 13:15. The speaker talks slowly, about 48 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 less common words from the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

• thriller /ˈθɹɪ.lə/ (noun) — Something that thrills.
• scare /skɛɚ/ (verb) — To frighten, terrify, startle, especially in a minor way.
• killer /ˈkɪlɚ/ (noun) — One who or that which kills.
• midnight /ˈmɪd(ˌ)naɪt/ (noun) — The middle of the night: the sixth temporal hour, equidistant between sunset and sunrise.
• terror /ˈtɛɹɚ/ (noun) — Intense dread, fright, or fear.
• slam /ˈslæm/ (verb) — To shut with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise.
• ghost /ɡoʊst/ (noun) — A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.
• nowhere /ˈnoʊ.(h)wɛɹ/ (adverb) — In no place.
• shell /ʃɛl/ (noun) — The calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates.
• darkness /ˈdɑɹk.nɪs/ (noun) — The state of being dark; lack of light; the absolute or comparative absence of light.
• seal /siːl/ (noun) — A stamp used to impress a design on a soft substance such as wax.
• beast /biːst/ (noun) — Any four-footed land mammal.
• imagination /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/ (noun) — The image-making power of the mind; the act of mentally creating or reproducing an object not previously perceived; the ability to create such images.
• resist /ɹɪˈzɪst/ (verb) — To attempt to counter the actions or effects of.
• sheriff /ˈʃɛɹɪf/ (noun) — (High Sheriff) An official of a shire or county office, responsible for carrying out court orders, law enforcement and other duties.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

• share up (verb) — To divide up (something); to divvy out or distribute (something).
• close together (adjective) — Near each other in time or space.
• come on /ˌkʌm ˈɒn/ — Come along with me; join me in going.
• get away (verb) — To move away (from).
• get down /ɡɛt ˈdaʊn/ (verb) — To bring or come down; to descend; to cause to bring or come down.
• get out of (verb) — To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of.
• look at (verb) — To observe or watch.
• look out (verb) — To be vigilant and aware often as an imperative to alert a person to danger.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 29 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

• The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shell /ʃɛl/, imagination /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/, sheriff /ˈʃɛɹɪf/, shiver /ˈʃɪvɚ/
• Long words — get the stress right: imagination /ɪˌmæd͡ʒəˈneɪʃən/, whosoever /huːsoʊˈɛvɚ/

How to practise with this video

1. Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
2. Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
3. Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like thriller, scare, killer.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video: